Writ of Attachment

Definition - What does Writ of Attachment mean?

A writ of attachment is a court order given by the court to the police department with instructions to seize a particular piece of property. Writs of attachment typically follow a judgment by the court in which a ruling has been made that the defendant must surrender property to satisfy a legal dispute between him or her and the plaintiff.

Justipedia explains Writ of Attachment

An example of a situation that where a writ of attachment may be used is if a judge rules that a man must surrender a yacht to the bank who gave him the loan on the yacht because he stopped paying back the loan. In this case, the court may instruct the police department to go and take the yacht from the possession of the man, and either give it straight to the bank, or hold it until further notice.